The Invention of the Pendulum Clock

The first pendulum clock was invented in the year 1656 by Christian Huygens. In the 19th century, the key was no more necessary to wind the clock as the crown served the purpose of the key.

With the developments in technology better adaptations came up to measure time with increased accuracy. The Edwardian Era, i.e. 1900 to 1910 brought about the biggest change in the lifestyle of people in and around the UK.

After the formal life of the Victorian era, the Edwardian era came in like a breeze of fresh air for the masses. By this time mechanical clocks had hit the market and had become affordable even to the working classes.

Edwardian Era Clocks Facts

They started being made in heavy bulks and came with interchangeable watch parts. The watches now were quite accurate with a minor difference of a few seconds per day.

During the Edwardian era, more attention was paid to the watchmaking. Better material was experimented on in the desire for improving tolerance.

Discovery of Alloys

The discovery of alloys like invar and Elinvar which were not as affected by the temperature as their bimetallic counterparts was another stepping stone in the field of watchmaking.

A combination of a balance wheel made out of invar and the spring made out of Elinvar became an instant hit amongst watchmakers globally. The first mechanical watches to become popular were the pocket watches.

Edwardian Era Clocks

Worn with a chain in one’s coat pockets it was a desire of every gentleman in England. Pocket watches were often coated in gold and silver for the elites.

The only drawback of the pocket watch was that it occupied either of your hands to see the time and both the hands when you winded the clock.

Wristwatches

Wristwatches started storming the market in the Edwardian era. The need for wrist watches arose for soldiers and pilots who could not afford to keep both their hands occupied even while watching the time or winding the clock.

A few years down the line the ratio of wristwatches to pocket watches was 50:1 which in itself describes the popularity of the handy watches.